Brian D. Gulbransen

Brian D. Gulbransen is a Professor in the Department of Physiology at Michigan State University, holding the MSU Research Foundation Professorship. His work focuses on neuroinflammation and enteric nervous system (ENS) biology, particularly neuron-glia interactions in gut physiology and disease.

• Department of Physiology, Michigan State University
• MSU Research Foundation Professor

Research Interests: Understanding how neuroinflammation alters neural circuitry through glial cell mechanisms, with applications to functional bowel disorders like IBS and IBD. Key techniques include fluorescence microscopy, genetic models (DREADDs, cell-specific knockouts), electrophysiology, organ physiology, and transcriptomics.

Scientific Trends: Analysis of his 15 most recent publications reveals:

• Purinergic signaling (P2X7, P2Y receptors)
• Enteric glia-neuron-macrophage crosstalk
• Role of connexin-43 hemichannels
• Microbiota-glia interactions
• Stress-induced gut dysfunction
• Neuroimmune regulation of motility

Education:

• University of Wyoming (B.S. Zoology & Physiology, 2003)
• University of Colorado Anschutz (Ph.D. Neuroscience, 2007)
• University of Calgary (Postdoctoral Fellow, 2014)

Collaborations span neurogastroenterology, immunology, and metabolic disease research, with grants supporting studies on neuroinflammation, microbiome interactions, and gut motility disorders.